The organisers of the bridge protest said they would remain faithful to their mission of non-violence during the torch relay.

They said they wanted to take advantage of the international spotlight on China to get their message across.

"This is a life-or-death situation for Tibetans," said Yangchen Lhamo, a member of the board of directors of Students for a Free Tibet.

The torch's journey was supposed to highlight China's growing economic and political power ahead of the Olympics in August.

But activists opposing China's policies in Tibet have been protesting along the torch's 136,788km route since the start of the relay from Ancient Olympia in Greece towards Beijing.

In Paris, Chinese officials were forced to extinguish the flame and seek refuge in a bus as hundreds of activists blocked the relay, hurled water at the flame and tried to seize the torch.

Host countryKevan Gosper, a senior IOC member, said that the torch relay should be confined to the host country at future games.

"My belief is the torch relay will stay on course," he said.

Rogge will consider cancelling international torch relays in future [AFP]

"There might be adjustments, but I think it would be wrong, actually, to try and do anything more than try to get torch through to its ultimate destination.

"But certainly, the IOC executive board should review the torch relay programme for the future."

Gosper denounced the protesters as "professional spoilers" who were "filled with resentment and hate".

Asked whether Chinese organisers had gone ahead with their torch relay plan against the advice of the IOC co-ordination commission, Gosper said they had not.

"The Beijing Cocom [co-ordinating committee] discussed the concerns with what could happen on the torch relay route but the decision had already been taken and we simply moved to a state of preparedness," he said.

Wang Hui, the Beijing organising committee's director of media and communications said "the smooth progress of the torch relay cannot be stopped and will definitely be a big success".